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The Blue Suede Sporran

Fifty of the Square & Compasses’ locals crammed into a small room with an open fire (perhaps unnecessary) and the best atmosphere I’ve experienced at a gig since the late night Aisle16 at Port Eliot a few years back. It was just superb.

I’ve been buzzing all weekend. That’s what a gig should be like. Atmosphere in nine-tenths of the law. What so many audiences don’t realise (and I exclude all of my audiences from last week in this) is that if you don’t give, you don’t get. Live performance is not the telly. You have to clap; you have to cheer; come on try your best to laugh. Fuck it, why not smile every now and again. Obviously, if you hate it don’t, but I’ve had people sit stony faced through my show and come up to me at the end and say “that was amazing mate, how much for a cd? Fiver? Fuck it, I’ll have two.” No exaggeration. Poetry audiences, a plea – be more like the crowd down the Square & Compass. It’s supposed to be fun.